A Gift from the Heart
by cedfiafics
Summary: Cedric is at an absolute loss for what to give Sofia on Wassalia but after receiving an unexpected gift from the princess, it might be just what he needs to give both of them the perfect Wassalia present. Cedric/Adult Sofia T
1. To Cedric with Love

AN: So I thought I'd try my hand at another Wassailia/Holiday themed story (one not so dreary as Christmas in Freezenberg turned out to be.)

This is a two-parter and chapter two will be posted tomorrow. Please enjoy and please let me know what you think by leaving me a review!

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 _A gift should come from the heart..._

It was a sappy, sentimental statement but it was one he had often heard Sofia mutter on the not so infrequent occasions when he would ask for her help in picking gifts for the members of his family, particularly for his niece who had become quite fickle in her late-teen years. The words now were playing over and over in his mind to the tune of the princess' voice as he sat in his workshop racking his brain for what he could possibly gift her for Wassalia.

He had been worrying himself for months over what to get for the young woman who could have literally _anything_ she desired at the snap of a finger. He had been all over Enchancia, through stores and markets in search of something he could proudly present as a gift but everything seemed to pale in comparison to her wondrous self. Now he sat empty handed on the eve of Wassalia trying to think of what he could possibly offer that would be worthy of her. He had even gone so far as to ask her siblings for advice.

Prince James hadn't been terribly helpful; _"Oh, you know Sofia. Any little trick is sure to charm her."_

Princess Amber had been even less so; _"Why don't you get her some jewelry? That's what I'm asking everyone for."_

But Sofia was beyond being impressed by the parlor tricks he'd often gifted her with in her childhood and jewelry would be far too brazen of a gift, particularly in the face of his current feelings toward the young woman. That wasn't to say he didn't consider the jewelry option, it was just something he could only imagine as acceptable further down the road in some fantastical world where they were in love and happily spending their lives together as husband and wife.

He couldn't allow himself to be quite _that_ optimistic.

So he sat on Wassalia Eve worrying himself near to death over what he could manage to produce for the young woman whom he had placed on such a high pedestal that he wasn't certain _anything_ could reach her.

His thoughts were interrupted then by the sound of a knock on his workshop door. He recognized the knock immediately, rushed in nature as it always was. It was Sofia, knocking more out of courtesy than anything else. He called out that the door was open and no sooner had the words left his mouth, the princess entered the room looking terribly out of breath and even more out of sorts.

She was dressed in one of her lovelier gowns; fine golden silk embroidered with the festive colors of Wassalia. Her auburn curls were swept up upon her head and woven in place with several jeweled pieces that complemented her tiara rather nicely. She would have been the picture of perfection if her flesh didn't appear such an odd shade of pink.

He stood to greet her, concern coming over him instantly. "Princess Sofia, are you alright? You look terribly flushed. Are you falling ill?"

"No. I'm fine." Sofia said, her voice cracking rather embarrassingly. She took a few deep breaths in an effort to calm her pounding heart as she stepped further into the workshop. "I was... uhm... I was hoping we could exchange gifts tonight."

"T-tonight?" Cedric croaked in horror. His eyes darted over the room in a panic, searching for anything he could discretely package and pass off as a gift on such short notice. "But Princess, Wassalia is tomorrow and-"

"It's alright if you didn't get me anything." Sofia said quickly, producing a small box from behind her back. "I was actually just hoping to give you your gift now, in private."

Cedric cocked an eyebrow at the princess, her words breathy and full of jitters. He was uncertain why, though he supposed she might actually be coming down with an illness despite her insistence otherwise.

His eyes fell to the tiny package she held securely in her hands. He detected a slight tremble in her limbs which only caused him to worry for her even more. He opened his mouth to express his concern but before he could get a word out she thrust the present into his hands. He stared down at it, guilt filling him to the brim at the thought that he had nothing to give her in return. "Princess, I-"

"Just open it. Please." Sofia said, fidgeting nervously with her hands. She looked from the present to Cedric's face and back again, chewing at her bottom lip in an effort to alleviate her agitation. After what felt like an eternity he lifted one hand to tug at the purple ribbon she had meticulously tied over and over until it achieved perfection. His hand then lifted the lid and her heart was in her throat at that point. She watched, entirely on edge as he reached into the box to retrieve that which she had placed inside.

Cedric's brow furrowed as he withdrew a familiar looking plant with a bow tied around its stem. He had seen it on a handful of trees in his lifetime, though it was often considered a pest due to its parasitic nature and promptly removed for the protection of the tree. "Mistletoe?"

"It was really hard to find." Sofia said, tucking her hands behind her back.

"Yes, I suppose it would have been." Cedric replied, eyeing the flora in his hand. "Might I ask the purpose of it?"

"Oh... w-well, as you know I just recently returned from Zumaria. They have a very charming Christmas tradition and I thought it would be nice to bring it back to the castle and make it a part of our Wassalia tradition. They hang the mistletoe over doorways and archways all throughout their homes and whenever two people are standing under the mistletoe, they... kiss." Sofia said, blushing madly as she reached out to touch the sprig in Cedric's hand. "I thought maybe you could hang this above your doorway. I already had Baileywick cover the rest of the castle but I thought I should bring this piece to you myself."

"I see." Cedric said with a small nod. "Thank you, Princess."

Sofia stared at Cedric as he continued to eye the plant in his hand. Her stomach was in knots as he seemed uncertain what to do with it. She sucked in a quick breath and glanced at his doorway hopefully. "Are you going to hang it?"

"Oh. Yes, of course." Cedric replied, quickly taking up his wand. With a small wave he set the mistletoe into the air and magically bound it to the stone frame around the door. Sofia seemed satisfied with this, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. He didn't understand how the simple action could bring her such joy but if it made her happy then it made him happy as well. He stood staring at the decorative plant a moment until Sofia's trembling voice broke the silence in the room.

"I-I suppose I should be off to bed now." Sofia said as she moved slowly toward the door. "I've got a long day ahead of me tomorrow after all."

Cedric nodded, knowing all too well the princess' obligations to her citizens and her family on Wassalia day. "Indeed. You'll want to be well rested."

"I'll see you tomorrow, won't I?" Sofia asked, stopping at the doorway to look Cedric over. "You won't be too busy to come down and join the celebration?"

"I haven't a thing on my schedule." Cedric replied with a smile.

"Wonderful." Sofia chimed happily, reluctant to leave the spot in which she stood. "Well, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow evening then."

"Good night, Princess Sofia." Cedric said, offering the young woman a small wave.

"Good night, Mr. Cedric." Sofia replied as she turned hesitantly away.

Cedric watched as Sofia made a slow exit from his workshop, obviously disinclined to leave for some strange reason. He studied her posture briefly and came to a quick conclusion as to why she seemed so disheartened. He decided to call out to her before she could leave entirely disappointed. "Princess, wait..."

Sofia froze and whirled around expectantly, charging back to the doorway with her heart aflutter. "Yes?"

"I'll have your Wassalia present for you tomorrow." Cedric said, casting her a small smile. "I hope that's alright."

"Oh..." Sofia wrapped her arms around herself and gave Cedric a quick nod in response. "That's more than than alright. Thank you, Mr. Cedric. I-I'll see you tomorrow..."


	2. To Sofia with Love

AN: Alrighty, here is part two! I hope you enjoy!

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It was well past midnight; officially Wassalia.

Cedric still had nothing and it was beginning to take a toll on him. He felt anxiety creeping up as he paced back and forth in the workshop, searching his mind for something meaningful to give to Sofia.

She had appeared to be so hurt earlier in the evening when she left his workshop empty-handed. There was no way to know what was going through her mind but in his own thoughts he reasoned that she must have believed he didn't care enough to get a present for her. The exact opposite was true, of course. He cared perhaps a bit too much and that was the reason he had nothing at all to give.

He was beginning to weigh his options very carefully.

He _could_ do as James had suggested and try to concoct some sort of magical display that might be impressive enough to wow Sofia despite her being quite the capable sorceress herself. Amber's suggestion was another option, though the thought of buying any sort of jewelry for the young woman still felt like far too intimate of a task to accomplish with any amount of confidence. Neither option felt right, but in an emergency he supposed they just might have to do.

Time was growing scarce and the possibilities available to him seemed even scarcer. This shouldn't be so hard. Giving a gift shouldn't be so convoluted and yet it was by far the most difficult task he had been faced with in the past several years. Adding to the stress of it all was Sofia's voice still echoing in his head, repeating those words of wisdom that did little to help with his current predicament. It seemed like such a simple concept and yet he was struggling with it.

 _A gift should come from the heart..._

His eyes drifted thoughtfully up to the gift Sofia had given him where it dangled just above the workshop door. It was a gift she had given likely after much consideration and although he didn't fully understand the meaning for it, it was something she had given with her whole heart behind it. As his eyes focused on the mistletoe his brain began to study the object intently.

He hadn't given much consideration to the piece of flora upon first opening it. Initially he assumed Sofia had meant for it to be an ingredient for his potions and indeed, it had its uses in a few antiquated recipes. But when he questioned her as to the plant's purpose it was what she had told him about her visit to Zumaria that struck him as odd. Rather than being a useful item the mistletoe was merely meant as an ornament and a rather ridiculous one at that.

The concept that a parasitic plant was chopped into little ornate pieces and hung all around the home with the purpose of inviting a gesture of affection was almost insulting. Though, Sofia had seemed quite pleased when he hung the mistletoe without hesitation even though she was practically the only person to ever visit his workshop.

And that was when it struck him...

He took up his wand and with a flick of his wrist he brought the sprig down from its place and into his hand. He stared at it with wide eyes, thumbing over a leaf as he recalled Sofia's demeanor upon presenting the gift to him. She had been ill at ease, face flushed and body quaking as she handed the box over to him.

His heart skipped a beat at the thought that she had brought the mistletoe to him with the explicit intention of the two of them sharing a kiss underneath it.

Instantly he second guessed this conclusion. It couldn't have been the case and it was likely just his wishful thinking that she might hold a flame for him just as he did for her... but then again, why had she stated that she wanted to give him the gift in _private_?

He knew immediately what to do, taking the mistletoe with him as he grabbed for the empty box it had been wrapped in and started out of his workshop in a hurry.

…

Sofia found herself tossing and turning in bed, heaving sighs of discontent every so often as she tried to shut her brain off. It seemed an impossible feat, however. All she could manage to do was think about how foolish she was; giving Cedric a sprig of mistletoe in the hopes that he would take the very desperate hint that she wanted him to kiss her. At first she worried that perhaps it might be too forward of a gesture but now it seemed that she hadn't been forward enough, or maybe it was that Cedric simply had no desire to use the mistletoe for its intended purpose.

Either way she felt like an idiot.

She rolled onto her back and wrapped her arms around herself, hoping beyond all hope that come morning Cedric would forget all about her stupid gift to him and chalk it up as nothing more than an act of whimsy. She just didn't know if she could face him otherwise.

She drew in a deep breath and held it a moment, prepared to let it out in a heavy sigh when the sound of a knock on her door startled her. She sat up quickly and her eyes flew to the door as though simply staring at it would give her some inkling as to who was on the other side. She climbed from the warmth of her blankets and slid her feet into the slippers at her bedside. Draped upon the cedar chest at the foot of the bed was her robe. She quickly pulled the warm quilted fabric over the frilly frock she wore for sleeping and started curiously toward her door.

It was awfully late to be receiving a call at her door but she supposed it was just Amber, unable to wait a second longer to open at least one of her presents and come to beg for permission to unwrap the gift Sofia had gotten her.

She pulled her bedroom door open but when she peered out into the dimly lit hallway she saw not a soul. Her eyes scanned the hall in confusion and she took a step forward. Upon doing so her slippered foot collided with something small and nearly weightless. She looked to the ground to find the very package she had given to Cedric wrapped up tightly with the same purple ribbon.

Her brow crinkled in confusion and she knelt to pick up the tiny box. A quick tug and the ribbon fell away to the floor. She then lifted the lid and looked inside but all she found was a tiny piece of parchment folded upon itself. She replaced the box on the ground and fished out the parchment, unfolding it as quickly as her fumbling fingers would allow. Her eyes darted over the two words written there, only filling her with even more confusion. "Look... up?"

Sofia flipped the parchment over in her hands to find it blank on the other side, the simple command being the only thing the note contained. She puzzled over it for only a second before turning her gaze upward as the words directed.

What she saw took her breath away.

All above her, dancing magically in the air were sprigs of mistletoe. It seemed that every piece she had brought into the castle was now hovering above her with a gentle sway. She took a step forward in awe, staring at the sight until the sound of approaching footsteps drew her eyes down the hall. Cedric was approaching with a warm smile that brought her near to puddling and she knew instantly that he was the cause. "Mr. Cedric... what is all this?"

"It's your Wassalia present." Cedric replied, stopping short of the young woman as he glanced above them. "I know that perhaps it's in a bit of poor taste to give you something that you already gave to me, especially when you worked so hard to collect it all. But I remembered what you always say to me, that a gift should come from the heart. I couldn't think of any better way to give you what is in my heart other than to do something like this..."

He reached out for her then, taking her hand hesitantly in his own. He brought the appendage to his lips to test a small peck before he let himself dive head first into something he couldn't take back. The delicate kiss upon her hand seemed well received with a blush and an eager smile. He placed another light kiss, then another and another until his heart felt it would beat out of his chest if he didn't move forward.

His hand moved to stroke her cheek gently and she pressed her face against his palm. Her eyes were swimming with joy and excitement as he leaned closer toward her. Mere inches separated them as he stared down at her, battling the doubts at the back of his mind. Then she shifted onto her tip-toes and their lips collided and all of his insecurities dissipated in that instant. He slid his hand to cup the back of her head and opened his mouth cautiously. He was met with a quiver of her parted lips against his but she wasn't pulling back so he let his tongue delve in slowly to caress against hers.

Her hands were moving onto his body, one against his chest where he was certain she could feel his heart pounding wildly in an attempt to escape. The other hand had found its way to the back of his head where she was pulling him deeper into the kiss that grew more and more passionate by the second.

He didn't want to ever leave this moment. The tantalizing rhythm of her tongue flirting against his seemed almost too heavenly to escape from and the way she tugged at him made him feel more needed than he'd ever felt in his life. A small whimper rose up from her throat, however, and gave him enough cause for concern to pull back from the kiss. He gasped for air and pressed his forehead against hers as he looked at her from under heavy eyelids. "Are you alright?"

"I'm more than alright." Sofia answered breathlessly, pulling at Cedric to bring him closer. "Mr. Cedric, I-"

" _Just_ Cedric." He corrected, shifting his hand to thumb over her bottom lip which still held a slight tremor. A bashful smile crossed her features which in turn brought a similar expression to his own face.

"Cedric..." Sofia said with a nod, deciding she rather liked the way it sounded coming from her mouth. "This is the best Wassalia present I've ever received. You have no idea how long... how _badly_ I've ached for this."

"I've felt just the same as you have, my dear." Cedric whispered, brushing his lips against hers in a brief, needful kiss. "You are all I could ever ask for and I couldn't be happier than I am in this moment."

Sofia smiled brightly as Cedric pulled her closer and wrapped her snugly in his embrace. "Happy Wassalia, Cedric."

"Happy Wassalia, my sweet Sofia..." Cedric muttered, reclaiming her lips in an affectionate kiss.

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AN #2: I'll leave it up to your imaginations what happens next... ;)

I hope you enjoyed this short little holiday themed story. I wanted to write something cheerful and also have something to give you guys as a Christmas present (since giving an extra chapter of The Man Who Sold the World just wasn't in the cards.) If you're celebrating Christmas this year I wish you a Merry Christmas! If you're celebrating any of the other many but no-less important winter holidays then I wish you a Happy Holiday as well!

Thank you for reading! Please gift me with your thoughts on the story in the form of a review! It would be greatly appreciated!


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